Act One: The Villain

I woke up, the quiet sound of the fan and the scent of the lilies in the air. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to recall where I was and immediately remembered what happened. The memory of Peyton and her friends laughing, the drink and the fact that I had walked up on Kael, Talon and Jett while they were changing.

Heat crept up my cheeks again.

“You're awake.” Talon said making me turn my gaze to him.

“What happened?” Jett asked, suddenly at my side in an instant.

“I—I don’t know,” I whispered.

Kael walked over to where I was. “What did you drink?” His voice was low, almost angry.

“A glass… Madison gave it to me,” I murmured, pressing a hand to my forehead.

Kael’s eyes darkened. “That b*tch.”

“She must have drugged you,” Jett said flatly, holding my hand tighter.

“I just wanted to act normal,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “I wanted to fit in.”

“You’re not supposed to care anymore about fitting in” Talon said gently, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You’re not alone anymore, remember?”

Kael looked like he was two seconds away from storming out and setting the whole party on fire. Talon touched his shoulder silently keeping him grounded.

“I didn’t mean to walk in on you guys,” I mumbled, trying to pull my hand away. “I'm sorry.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Talon said helping sit up. “You come before anything we are doing.”

The door opened gaining our attention. Madison walked in with Ezra and a couple of classmates. I had no idea what she was up to but the shock on her face as she saw me with Kael, Talon and Jett.

“ You said she passed out.” Madison whispered angrily as she looked at Peyton and the two girls behind her.

“ If you're here to see if your plan worked, it didn't.” Talon said as he got off the bed. “ I can't believe you would stoop so low was to drug someone.”

Madison's mouth opened and closed. She looked like a guilty person who had just got caught in the act and had nothing to say. Meanwhile, Ezra stepped forward. His eyes darted to Kael, Talon and Jett before looking at me. He had the same look of disgust as when he humiliated in front of everyone.

“So what's going on here? I rejected you and now you're trying to cling to the hottest triplets in school?” Ezra asked confidently as he walked in.

His words hit me like a slap. My fingers curled around the bedsheet, holding on like it could somehow make me disappear.

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” Ezra continued with a smirk. “Pathetic.”

Kael took a step forward so fast it made Ezra flinch. “Say one more word,” he warned, his voice low as his eyes changed to wolf.

Ezra scoffed raising his two hands up, “Relax. Just saying what everyone’s thinking.”

“No,” Jett said sharply, stepping beside Kael. “You’re just saying what you think. But no one asked you.”

Talon stood by me now, one hand on my shoulder. “You don’t get to speak to her like that anymore. In fact, you don’t get to speak to her at all.”

Ezra looked between the three of them. “You’re seriously choosing her? A plus size shabby Omega?”

“Yes,” Kael answered without hesitation. “Now get out.” He growled.

Madison’s face was flushed red. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” she muttered under her breath, but I heard it.

“ In fact, we are leaving. This party is not worth much anyway.” Kael said as he reached down picking me up from the bed.

A slight gasp escaped my lips as I stared at them. All three of them were by my side. Was this really not a dream? The hottest triplets defending me and acting like I was actually important?

“You’re not alone, anymore.” Kael whispered as he carried me out in his arms followed by Jett and Talon.

*****************************

(The Auditorium)

Everyone gathered after school for the first meeting of the play. I tried my best to see if I could somehow get myself out of the mess that Peyton had put me in but our drama teacher, Ms. Penrose convinced me to stay. How could I be the lead actress and play the part alongside a boy who felt disgusted by me?

“ When is she going to get here?” Madison impatient as she crossed her legs together referring to Ms. Penrose.

Her eyes darted to me and I could see the obvious hate in her eyes for me. She pretended to act nice but her true colors got exposed.

I got up from my seat trying to quickly slip away.

The lace of my shoes tangled as I walked making me trip but strong arms caught me before I hit the floor.

A faint chuckle followed. “Careful, Juliet. The stage hasn’t even been set yet.”

I looked up, my face burning as my eyes met the piercing grey ones of Edward Blackthorne, the leader of the drama club and the male villain of our play. He was tall, with sharp cheekbones and that annoying kind of charm that made people hang on his every word. His blonde curls fell slightly over his forehead making him look like a god.

He dropped me to my feet slowly, but his hand lingered just a second too long on my waist.

“Th-thank you,” I mumbled, pulling away quickly and brushing imaginary dust off my skirt.

He grinned. “You always fall this dramatically or is it just around me?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. My brain short-circuited. Madison let out a loud, fake laugh behind me and I immediately stiffened.

Edward turned his head lazily toward her, then back to me. “Ignore her. She likes to cling onto people. Both on set and outside.”

My anger flared up immediately.

“Edward,” Madison called in a singsong voice, clearly annoyed by his attention on me. “Aren’t you going to say something? Everyone is waiting.”

“Oh, I will,” he replied without looking at her. “But first…”Edward turned and clapped his hands loudly. “Alright, everyone! Gather around!”

The group gathered together. slSome whispering, others still looking at me with wide eyes. I could feel Peyton and Madison glaring holes into my back.

“As you know,” Edward said standing in front of everyone like he owned the world, “ I will be playing Lord Ravyn, the villain with a heart full of darkness and secrets.” He said with a smirk and all the girls giggled.

“And our Juliet—” he paused and turned toward me with a wicked smile “will be played by none other than Chloe Lunford.”

The entire room was silent. Just then, someone snickered in the crowd. I was sure it was Madison.

“I expect full commitment from everyone,” Edward continued, eyes still on me. “We’re not just putting on a school play. We’re telling a story of obsession, betrayal, and twisted romance.” His smile deepened. “And trust me… I take my role very seriously.”

He walked past me slowly, then whispered with a smile, “Try not to fall for me too hard, Juliet.”

Edward disappeared leaving just as Ms. Penrose finally arrived.

But the damage had already been done. My heart wouldn't stop racing.